1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle covers and, more particularly, to covers of the type employed on convertible automobiles to cover their interiors when the top is down.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle interior covers, similar to vehicle exterior covers, are often deployed over the vehicle interior to reduce dust accumulation and to mask the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. This is particularly true for convertible automobiles in which the interior is subjected to climatic weathering when the top is down. Typically, such vehicle interior covers extend from proximate the rear window to proximate the front window and, amongst other advantages, protect the seats and dashboard and various structures therebetween. Since these covers often are constructed of fabric or non-rigid materials, they must be secured to the vehicle in order to retain them properly over the vehicle interior in a distended condition. Usually, such covers are secured to the vehicle by fastening snaps or other fasteners disposed about the cover which correspondingly engage mating fasteners positioned strategically about the perimeter of the vehicle interior.
Unfortunately, one inherent problem with such prior art interior covers is that they generally require fasteners which are permanently mounted to the vehicle, such as snaps or buttons. Installing and/or replacing such snaps or buttons is cumbersome and normally cannot be readily accomplished by the car owner himself. Moreover, not only are these car-mounted fasteners aesthetically unattractive, but they involve installation as well as parts costs.
Interior vehicle covers also have been developed which more fully integrate the securing mechanism into the vehicle for aesthetic reasons. One such prior art approach is to affix a track on opposing parallel sides of the vehicle interior and provide mating guide members coupled to the opposing sides of a cover. These systems also may include complex systems for extending or retracting the cover manually, or electromechanically, over the interior.
Typical of such an approach is the cover assembly set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,600 to Halvorsen, which discloses an extendable and retractable interior cover for a boat. This cover is transversely disposed across the boat interior and retracts to a furled position transversely mounted proximate the rear of the interior. Upon extension over the interior, the cover, including a guiding mechanism coupled to the opposite sides, slidably engages a pair of fore-and-aft track members which respectively extend along the contours of the vehicle interior side edges. These tracks terminate proximate the top of the boat's windshield where there is provided a latch mechanism permanently coupled to the windshield which retains the cover in an extended position.
One problem with such an approach, however, is that the tracking mechanism is often mechanically complex. The tracking mechanism comprises a plurality of parts which need be fully integrated into the vehicle's opposing interior sides. Thus, assembly of these mechanisms is quite extensive. Furthermore, these fixtures must be permanently mounted to the vehicle by skilled installers or factory personnel. Additionally, this type of extendable cover makes it difficult to cover headrests or the like which protrude above the fore-and-aft tracking mechanisms.
Another automobile interior cover is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,878,943 to Lock et al. In this approach, the vehicle interior cover functions as a roof as well as an interior cover. Similar to Halvorsen, the interior cover slidably extends and retracts along integrally mounted fore-and-aft tracks positioned along the opposing surfaces of the vehicle sides. Further, although fully integrated, this cover device requires a plurality of mechanically complex parts which assist deployment of the cover over the interior. Moreover, deployment is manually laborious.
Other vehicle interior covers have been devised which do not necessitate such complex deployment mechanism to retain the cover in an extended position. One such reference is that provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,319 to Benson which discloses an automotive interior cover having a spring-biased furling core which is normally retracted to retain the cover thereon. This cover device is transversely disposed across the rear interior and is positioned relatively low with respect to the rear so that, when retracted, the furling core may not be readily viewed. However, similar to the previously mentioned inventions, the interior cover mechanism in Benson requires fixtures permanently mounted to the vehicle in order to store the apparatus in the vehicle. This complicates mounting (e.g., retro-fitting) and increases costs during installation or manufacture. Moreover, when the interior cover is extended from the rear of the interior to the front dashboard portion, the cover, when deployed, is secured by permanently mounted fixtures affixed to the dashboard.